Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon • Hacker News Board

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#41

Post by idlewords » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:06 PM UTC

AmericanChopper wrote: post #19

thecopy wrote: post #4

The impasse Hong Kong finds itself must be solved by the Chief Executive. Her leadership in this matter is severely lacking and one wonders if the has any autonomous power at all, or if its all controlled by Beijing. Especially seeing how she evaded that question quite gracelessly a few days ago when asked by a reporter.

I don’t think anybody seriously thinks Hong Kong has any meaningful level of autonomy. The impasse is that Hong Kongers want freedom and democracy, and China wants Hong Kong to be China. I can’t see what the Chief Executive could possibly do. Either the protestors will give up, or stage a revolution, which seems unlikely for a population armed with umbrellas.

I don't really understand this comment. Hong Kong enjoys considerable autonomy, the threatened loss of which is the reason for the current protests. This very real autonomy is the reason it continues to be a thriving financial center.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#42

Post by idlewords » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:08 PM UTC

neonIcon wrote: post #33

AmericanChopper wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think anybody seriously thinks Hong Kong has any meaningful level of autonomy. The impasse is that Hong Kongers want freedom and democracy, and China wants Hong Kong to be China. I can’t see what the Chief Executive could possibly do. Either the protestors will give up, or stage a revolution, which seems unlikely for a population armed with umbrellas.

Really illustrates the importance of our own second amendment.

A population armed with guns can no more stand up to a modern police force or army than one without firearms. People in Iraq and Yemen were heavily armed.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#43

Post by longsangstan » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:08 PM UTC

kirstenbirgit wrote: post #12

Apfel wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The discussion being entirely banned on Weibo also implies that it's deliberate. Try searching "李嘉诚发声" and you'll get a message saying "According to relevant laws, regulations and policies, this page is not found"

Don't they just block anything that even barely mentions HK independence?

Actually, HK independence is deliberately mentioned a lot in Weibo.

They want to paint the protesters as pro-HK independence but in fact this is not one of our five demands.

And of course they block all the stuffs that make the HK gov and police look bad.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#44

Post by monk_e_boy » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:09 PM UTC

neonIcon wrote: post #33

AmericanChopper wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think anybody seriously thinks Hong Kong has any meaningful level of autonomy. The impasse is that Hong Kongers want freedom and democracy, and China wants Hong Kong to be China. I can’t see what the Chief Executive could possibly do. Either the protestors will give up, or stage a revolution, which seems unlikely for a population armed with umbrellas.

Really illustrates the importance of our own second amendment.

Minor point: not everyone is American. Some countries are democratic without the need to bear arms.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#45

Post by namelosw » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:10 PM UTC

SoylentOrange wrote: post #20

To the Chinese native speakers here on HN: how clear would the message have been to you, if you didn’t read the explanation on this website?

It's not clear because people don't read like that (jumping for different directions), that's the intention. But once other people pointed out it became very obvious, and could almost be judged as they intended to do that.

It could be a common way to trick the initial sensor from the publisher. Because most editors wouldn't notice that. But it won't hide from the mass. Once it's get published it would piss someone off.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#46

Post by Spooky23 » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:10 PM UTC

neonIcon wrote: post #33

AmericanChopper wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think anybody seriously thinks Hong Kong has any meaningful level of autonomy. The impasse is that Hong Kongers want freedom and democracy, and China wants Hong Kong to be China. I can’t see what the Chief Executive could possibly do. Either the protestors will give up, or stage a revolution, which seems unlikely for a population armed with umbrellas.

Really illustrates the importance of our own second amendment.

Not really. Civil disobedience is the only historically effective way to defeat a modern state.

With open warfare, the historical playbook for putting down this sort of thing is clear. Roll in the tanks, and infantry from Mongolia or whatever. Sometimes the revolt get put down immediately, sometimes you end up with guerrilla warfare.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#47

Post by NikkiA » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:11 PM UTC

JshWright wrote: post #13

> The poem is by the dauphin (crown prince), Li Xian (655-684) under Wu Zetian (624-705), the only female emperor in Chinese history. I've only ever heard the word "dauphin" in the context of a French crown prince (starting with Charles V, when Philip VI gave him the Dauphiné region to rule while he was still the heir). Is the term used more universally?

It's generically used as a French term for 'heir apparent'

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#48

Post by paublyrne » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:11 PM UTC

meddlepal wrote: post #21

pessimizer wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's like getting annoyed when people refer to 9/11.

Eh no. Let me also be clear I say this and cannot remember the date of Pearl Harbor, Cherynobl, or a number of other major events. 9/11 is a bit of a weird case in that the name of the event is also the event itself... that usually does not happen. Please label your dates folks (except 9/11 I guess...)

"9/11" is not generally referred to as such outside the US, and would more usually be described as the September 11th Attacks. Also a date, but less numerical.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#49

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:11 PM UTC

meddlepal wrote: post #21

pessimizer wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's like getting annoyed when people refer to 9/11.

Eh no. Let me also be clear I say this and cannot remember the date of Pearl Harbor, Cherynobl, or a number of other major events. 9/11 is a bit of a weird case in that the name of the event is also the event itself... that usually does not happen. Please label your dates folks (except 9/11 I guess...)

[deleted]

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#50

Post by NikkiA » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:12 PM UTC

JansjoFromIkea wrote: post #14

b_tterc_p wrote: post #11

> “everyone knows what 4 / 6 /89 signifies” This annoyed me quite a bit. No I don’t. Most people probably don’t. It’s the date of Tiananmen Square.

Would Tiananmen Square not be your first guess for any date remotely close to 1989 though, given the context?

Or the fall of the berlin wall, depending on context.